


Ridiculous

by ancalime8301



Series: Legacy [22]
Category: The Lord of the Rings (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-02-16
Updated: 2004-02-16
Packaged: 2018-06-08 07:05:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6844180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ancalime8301/pseuds/ancalime8301
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frodo's pregnancy is nearing his end and he feels ridiculous.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ridiculous

**Author's Note:**

> There is a gap of time between this and the preceding fic, during which Aragorn arrived at Rivendell.

"Why's it doing that?"

"Doing what?"

The perturbed hobbit lifted the edge of his baggy nightshirt a bit. "That."

The Man tried not to laugh. "I see." The hobbit glared at him and he chuckled. "I assure you, Frodo, this is often seen in human women in the advanced stages of pregnancy. Apparently the same can be true of hobbits."

"Will it... go back to normal?"

Aragorn regarded him quizzically, unsure why Frodo was so concerned about his belly button. "As far as I know, it will return to normal once the child is born." The hobbit's relief was unmistakable. "May I ask why it is such an important matter?"

Frodo blushed even as he continued playing with his belly button, pushing it back in only to have it pop out again. "It feels odd this way..." Aragorn stared at him evenly, and the hobbit finally admitted sheepishly, "I used to tease Merry for having one that pokes out. If he finds out mine was like that, even if only for a short time..." His eyes widened as he looked at the Man standing next to his bed. "You won't tell him, will you?" he asked anxiously.

Aragorn's shoulders shook with mirth, but he managed to keep a straight face as he pledged, "Not a word." After a pause, he amended, "But only if you cooperate for your bath. The water's getting cold, and you have only yourself to blame."

The warm basin of water was sitting on the table next to the bed, and Frodo could see that indeed the tendrils of steam curling up were becoming more sparse. "All right," he grumbled, pushing himself up on one arm and trying to pull the shirt off over his head with the other. When he got tangled and nearly fell off the bed, Aragorn helped him finish undressing and laid towels down for the spongebath. "It would be much easier if I could just go to the baths," he said cajolingly as the Man sat next to him on the edge of the bed and reached behind him to wash his back.

"You know I must follow Elrond's orders, you sneaky hobbit," Aragorn replied saucily. "No more going to the baths until after the babe is born and you've recovered." The sponge and towel worked along the exposed part of his back, his side, and around to the front as Frodo sighed. "I know. It just seems like I've been stuck in bed forever."

"It will be over soon," he tried to reassured him. "Now sit up a bit and roll over so I can get your other side," Aragorn instructed, assisting the ungainly hobbit with gentle hands, then resuming his motions. As he carefully wiped every crease and joint, he stopped for a moment to ask, "Frodo, have you been moving a bit every so often?"

"Once I find a comfortable position, I like to stay that way," he replied, sounding a bit pained.

"Soon those comfortable positions won't be so comfortable. You're starting to get a rash in a couple of places, which wouldn't happen if you'd move once in a while."

"Only so many positions are bearable. If you were in my place, you wouldn't move much, either," he snapped.

"Easy, easy," Aragorn placated, rubbing the exposed shoulder soothingly. "I'm only trying to keep you from more discomfort later. Now on your back for a bit and then you can get back into that comfortable position of yours."

Frodo complied with a grunt as all the baby's weight seemed to rest directly on his diaphragm. "I'm huge," he laughed breathlessly.

Aragorn chose not to comment, but couldn't resist poking at the inverted belly button, eliciting a glare from Frodo. "Get on with it, you silly ranger."

"I am," he said innocently, cleaning with special care those areas Frodo couldn't look to at the moment, noting with concern a bit of swelling as well as the beginnings of an inactivity rash. He would bring it to Elrond's attention so they could quickly treat it before it became a nuisance to the laid-up hobbit.

Then he moved to the swollen stomach, seeing with satisfaction that the massaging motion seemed to be relaxing Frodo despite the discomfort of not being able to breathe fully. Aragorn smiled when the babe answered his touch with a few kicks and jabs; he wondered how long it would be until he and Arwen could anticipate the arrival of their first child and the joy it would bring.

"Are you done yet? I'm getting cold," the hobbit's disgruntled voice broke his reverie.

"Almost, I promise," he reassured him, resuming where he'd left off, feeling as if something was... different, somehow. He probed gently, feeling for the babe's position and finding that the child had shifted somewhat, the move likely causing what had Frodo so concerned... but he suspected that soon belly buttons popping out would be the last thing on Frodo's mind. It seemed the babe was settling into its place to be born... Elrond would need to be informed right away.

Not wanting to alarm Frodo, he calmly finished the makeshift bath and helped the hobbit sit up to put on a new nightshirt. Frodo settled back into his earlier pose with a sigh, and directed the placement of pillows so he was most comfortable. He remained somewhat cranky, so the appearance at that moment of Bilbo and Sam was not well-timed. The other hobbits tried to be accommodating, but Frodo was not in the mood for interaction of any kind.

Once they'd helped him get as comfortable as was possible at this point in things, he told them all to leave him in peace. Aragorn tried to protest on behalf of Bilbo at least, but when a stubborn hobbit is in a mood, there is no changing his mind. So the three meekly left, and once the Man made sure the two hobbits weren't insulted by Frodo's behaviour (of course, they weren't, having dealt with him in similar tempers even when he *wasn't* with child), he hurried to find Elrond. They must be ready for the imminent arrival of Frodo's little one.


End file.
